ENTRIES have opened for the annual Exporter of the Year Awards and this year the focus will be on showcasing exporters’ achievements despite the challenges of 2020.
That’s according to Quintin Levey, who chairs Exporters Eastern Cape, the organisers of the awards, which he said acknowledge that 2020 has been a challenging year for all industries, thanks to lockdowns and loss of disposable income negatively impacting the revenue of exporters, and their service providers.
“When judging this year’s entries, we will be focusing on the innovative initiatives our entrants have put in place during these trying times to manage costs and cash flows, retain employment levels, and their plans to recover to pre-Covid turnover levels.”
Levey encouraged exporters and service providers not to view the pandemic as a deterrent to entering the contest, “but rather as an opportunity to showcase their achievements, entrepreneurial flair and export innovation during these challenging times”.
This year’s awards also marks a new category: the Transnet Emerging Exporter Award for companies that have been exporting for three years or fewer.
Other categories include the SJM Flex Environmental Award; the IDC Job Creation Award; Best Provider of Services to Exporters; Best Exporter: Small Business; Best Exporter: Medium Enterprises; Best Exporter: Corporate Category and Best Exporter: OEM. The Overall Exporter of the Year is chosen from these category winners.
Judging criteria includes qualitative and quantitative data, which are assessed by an independent panel of judges and the winners are announced at a gala event planned for Friday, 20 August. It will be the 26th year that the Exporter of the Year Awards is hosted.
The entry form can be downloaded from the Exporters Eastern Cape website at www.exportersec.co.za or email Suzanne Vermeulen, Exporters Eastern Cape Branch Coordinator, at info@exportersec.co.za. The closing date for entries is 2 June 2021.
